Internally fired feed thru dead end connector

ABSTRACT

This invention relates to a dead end connector and more particularly to a connector having a housing thru which extends a continuous bore adapted to receive a transmission cable, a chamber containing an explosive charge and a plurality of gripping jaws in circular relation to the bore and operable to be forcibly driven by the explosive charge into a gripping engagement with the transmission cable.

United States Patent Vockroth June 27, 1972 [54] INTERNALLY FIRED FEED THRU 3,163,904 1/1965 Ziolkowski ..174/84 s x DEAD END CONNECTOR 3,333,046 7/1967 Margis ..l74/94 X 3,340,351 9/1967 Tiernan, Jr. ..l74/79 1 Invent; wllli'm P" Vockmh, Hamburg, 3,515,794 6/1970 Beinhaur et al. ..174/94 R x [73] Assignee: AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

Prgmary Examiner-Darrell L. Clay Flledi J 1970 Attorney-William J. Keating, Ronald D. Grefe, Gerald K. [2]] App No 45 732 Kita, Frederick W. Raring, Jay L. Seitchik and John P. Vandenburg [52] U.S. Cl. ..l74/79, 24/126 R, 24/136 R, [57] ABSTRACT [5 H Int Cl 174/94 339/273 This invention relates to a dead end connector and more par- [58] Fieid R 94 S ticularly to a connector having a housing thru which extends a lfi3X R 5 I36R 5 continuous bore adapted to receive a transmission cable, a chamber containing an explosive charge and a plurality of [56] Rdermces Cited gripping jaws in circular relation to the bore and operable to be forcibl driven b the ex losive charge into a gri ing en- Y P PP UNITED STATES p ATENTS gagement with the transmission cable. 3,220,677 11/1965 Sweeney .......l74/79 X 3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures 76 V m I 64 6 Patented June 27, 1972 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR WILLIAM J.VOCKROTH GERALD K KITA Patented June 27, 1972 3,673,312

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART Heretofore, when it was desired to span transmission cables between adjacent transmission towers, each end of a cable span was received in a dead end connector secured to a respective tower. In such a prior art connector, no provision was made for adjusting the tension of the cable span extending between the towers. Accordingly, the transmission cable was severed at the each dead end connector to allow for tensioning of the unsupported span. This technique necessitated a separate conductor cable looped around the transmission tower in order to connect together the severed ends of cable spans.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method and apparatus to dead end a transmission cable at a tower without severing the through line. The cable is fed entirely through the connector according to the invention. A plurality of jaws internally of the connector are forced into gripping engagement on the cable upon detonation of an explosive charge. The connector is further provided with an externally attached clevis for connection to a transmission tower. Since the cable or through line extends entirely through the connector, it can be adjusted in position within the connector in order to pretension the cable span before it is forcibly gripped by the connector jaws.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the-invention to dead end a through line or transmission cable at a tower without severing the cable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a dead end connector for a through line which allows pretensioning of the through line before termination with the connector.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dead end connector in which a through line is fed entirely through the connector before termination therewith.

Another object of the invention is to provide a through line dead end connector utilizing a plurality of toothless jaws for gripping the through line.

Still another object of the invention is to dead end a transmission cable with a connector which is quickly and easily installed.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a dead end connector which is terminated on a through line upon detonation of an explosive charge.

Another object of the invention is to provide a through line dead end connector including an explosive charge which is ignited at a single flash point.

Other objects and many attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon perusal of the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an elevation of a preferred embodiment of a dead end connector according to the invention and further illustrated with an attached clevis and with a through line fed entirely through the connector;

FIG. 2 is an end view of the embodimemt illustrated in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a section taken along numeral 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the clevis before it is bent and secured to the connector as illustrated in FIG. I; and

- FIG. 6 is sectional view of the explosive used in the connector as illustrated in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With more particular reference to the drawings, there is shown generally at 1 an elongated dead end connector provided with a tapered frusto-conical portion 2 integral with a central cylindrical portion 4. Together, the portions 2 and 4 provide a hollow housing having an internal sidewall 3 which is secured, by inertia welding, for example, to a cylindrical end portion 6. An encircling bead 8 is formed adjacent to the end portion 6 and on the portion 4 during the inertial welding operation. The cylindrical portion 4 is also of smaller diameter than the cylindrical end portion 6 and receives thereover a partially encircling arcuate portion 10 of a clevis secured to the connector portions 4 and 6 by pins 11.

The clevis is more particularly shown in FIG. 5 and comprises a generally U-shaped metal stamping with the arcuate portion 10 initially being formed as a base between spaced extending leg portions 12 and 14. Each of the leg portions 12 and 14 is provided with a circular aperture I6 and a plurality of reduced diameter apertures 18. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 5, the clevis is deformed to its configuration as shown in FIG. 1, with the base portion 10 forming the arcuate configuration, as described and with the leg 12 and 14 extending in alignment and generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the elongated connector. Further, with the legs 12 and 14 in alignment, the apertures 16 thereof will also be in alignment to receive a bolt therethrough for securing the connector 1 to one side of a transmission tower (not shown).

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, the enlarged cylindrical portion 6 is provided with a generally central enlarged diameter bore 20 extending therethrough and communicating with an outwardly flaring enlarged annular opening 22, disposed generally between the legs 12 and 14 of the clevis. As shown in FIG. 2, the cylindrical end portion 6 is provided with an externally arcuate beveled end surface 24 provided with a recessed planar surface 26. At its opposite end, the enlarged diameter end portion 6 is provided with a reduced diameter cylindrical chamber block portion 28 matingly received within the cylindrical portion 4 of the connector. If desired, the cylindrical portion 28 may be provided with an encircling channel 30 which, as shown in FIG. 3, receives a portion of the head 8 formed when the portions 4 and 6 are welded together. The reduced diameter portion 28 is provided with a central bore 32 communicating and aligned with the bore 20. A generally annular recess having an inner cylindrical sidewall 34 and an outer cylindrical sidewall 36 is provided in the terminal end 37. The recess terminates in an annular bottom wall 38, which wall is planar and perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the elongated connector 1. The bottom wall 38 is provided with a single reduced diameter flash hole 40 extending partially into the cylindrical end portion 6 of the connector. The flash hole 40 extends through a bottom wall 42 of an elongated cylindrical recess 44 provided in the planar surface 26 of the end portion 6. The recess 44 is internally threaded to receive therein a complimentary externally threaded. casing 46 containing a detonator of any well known variety for igniting or otherwise detonating an explosive charge. Received against the bottom wall 38 of the annular recess is seated an annular-shaped explosive charge 48. As shown the charge may have a circular cross section or any other desired configuration. Immediately adjacent to the explosive charge 48 and within the annular recess is a plastic elastomeric seal 50 which is adapted for slidable motion between the cylindrical spaced sidewalls 34 and 36 of the annular recess. Immediately adjacent to the plastic annular ring 50 is provided a generally rigid annular ring 52 which may be fabricated from steel or aluminum.

With more particular reference to FIG. 6, the plastic ring 50 is provided with a generally cup-shaped surface 54 adapted to abut a complimentary convex surface 56 of the pusher ring 52. The opposite surface of the ring 52 is planar as shown at 58.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the tapered end portion 2 of the connector is provided interiorly thereof with a plurality of cylindrical segmented jaws 60 disposed in side by side adjacent spaced relationship and provided with arcuate interior surfaces 62 which, when disposed in side by side adjacent spaced relationship, cooperate to form a generally cylindrical opening between the plurality of jaws 60 generally in alignment with the bores 29 and 20. Although only three jaws 60 are shown in FIG. 4 it should be understood that any desired plurality of jaws may be utilized. With more particular reference to FIG. 3, the jaws 60 are provided with a generally arcuate tapered exterior surface 64 slidably received against the interior of the tapered sidewall 3 of the connector. The tapered surfaces 64 terminate in planar end walls 66 adjacent to a frusto-conical nose piece 68 retained within the terminal end 70 of the connector 1 and seated against the interior sidewall 3 of the tapered portion 2. A bore 72 is provided in the nose piece 68 generally centrally thereof.

Each jaw 60 is further provided with another terminal end 74 which is adjacent to the terminal end 37 of the chamber block 28. Each jaw 60 is further provided with a segmented annular leg 76 extending from the terminal end 74 and received within the annular opening defined by the cylindrical sidewalls 34 and 36. Each leg 76 terminates in a planar end wall 78 adapted to engage on the planar surface 58 of the pusher ring 52.

In operation, a through line or transmission line to be terminated, indicated at 80 in FIG. 3, is inserted in the end 70 of the connector tapered portion 2, and is fed entirely through the connector 1 with a portion shown at 82 protruding from the bore 20 of the cylindrical end portion 6 of the connector. The cable at the terminal end 70 of the connector typically comprises the end portion of an unsupported span of through line which must be suspended by the connector 1 from a transmission tower. Thus, the portion 82 of the cable is capable of being maintained under a desired tension to provide pretensioning in the unsupported through line span. The feed through design of the connector permits passage of the cable freely within the nose piece 68, between the jaws 60, through the bore 29 and through the bore 20, thus permitting pretensioning of the unsupported span merely by pulling the cable through the connector. With the proper amount of pretension in the cable, the detonator 46 is activated by any well known technique. The energy from the detonator is transmitted through the flash hole 40 to communicate with and activate the explosive charge 48 at a single flash point thereof. Detonation of the explosive charge originates from its single flash point and progresses entirely along the bottom wall 38 of the annular recess defined by the cylindrical sidewalls 34 and 36. Such detonation will forcibly slide the seal 50, the push ring 52 and the extending legs 76 of the jaws 60 along the annular recess defined by the sidewalls 34 and 36. The seal 50 is provided to insure that expanding gases and other products of detonation are contained within the annular recess Such sliding action of the jaw legs 76 will forcibly translate the jaws slidably along the tapered interior sidewall 3. The internal arcuate surface 62 of each jaw will thus forcibly engage upon the cable 80. More particularly, the jaws 60 will slidably wedge between the sidewall 3 and the cable 80 thereby gripping the cable and terminating it to the connector 1. Such sliding action of the jaws 60 additionally forcibly slides the nose piece 68 along the tapered sidewall 3, until it is wedged between the sidewall 3 and the cable and partially protrudes from the end 70 of the connector. The thereby wedged nose piece 68 thus provides a seal between the cable and the sidewall 3 at the terminal end 70 of the connector. If desired, the interior surfaces 62 of the jaws 60 may be provided with serrations, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, which aid in gripping the cable 80 within the tapered portion 2 es the connector, The portion 82 of the cable may be looped partially around the transmission tower to be joined to a similar partially looped portion of a cable from a span at the other side of the transmission tower and attached to the tower with a second connector similar to the connector 1. Thus, the cable 80 is advantageously provided with a dead end connection without a need for severing the cable and providing it with a separate connecting loop around the tower.

The invention is not to be limited solely to the embodiment particularly shown, but may include other embodiments and modifications. For example, the push ring 52 may be made integral with the extending leg portion 76 of the jaws 60. Thus, the scope of the invention is limited only by that of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A dead end type connector for an electric cable includmg:

a housing,

cable-receiving means in the housing for receiving an electric cable extending entirely through said housing,

a chamber block in said housing, explosive means being retained in said chamber block,

detonator means within said housing for activating said explosive means, and

gripping means in said housing partially protruding into said chamber block for being capable of forcibly securing a connector to a cable when such a cable is received entirely through said housing and upon activation of said explosive means.

2. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein, said housing includes a tapered internal sidewall, and wherein said gripping means includes jaws which are forcibly slidable along said sidewall and capable of wedgingly engaging between said sidewall and a cable when such a cable is received entirely through said housing.

3. A dead end type connector for an electric cable including:

a housing,

cable-receiving means in the housing for receiving an electric cable extending entirely through said housing, explosive means within said housing,

detonator means within said housing for activating said explosive means, and

gripping means in said housing for activating said explosive means,

gripping means in said housing for being capable of forcibly securing said connector to a cable when such a cable is received entirely through said housing upon activation of said explosive means,

said connector including a generally cylindrical end portion,

said detonator means is received in said end portion, and

passageway means connecting said detonator means and said explosive means.

t 1 i t 8 

1. A dead end type connector for an electric cable including: a housing, cable-receiving means in the housing for receiving an electric cable extending entirely through said housing, a chamber block in said housing, explosive means being retained in said chamber block, detonator means within said housing for activating said explosive means, and gripping means in said housing partially protruding into said chamber block for being capable of forcibly securing a connector to a cable when such a cable is received entirely through said housing and upon activation of said explosive means.
 2. The structure as recited in claim 1, wherein, said housing includes a tapered internal sidewall, and wherein said gripping means includes jaws which are forcibly slidable along said sidewall and capable of wedgingly engaging between said sidewall and a cable when such a cable is received entirely through said housing.
 3. A dead end type connector for an electric cable including: a housing, cable-receiving means in the housing for receiving an electric cable extending entirely through said housing, explosive means within said housing, detonator means within said housing for activating said explosive means, and gripping means in said housing for activating said explosive means, gripping means in said housing for being capable of forcibly securing said connector to a cable when such a cable is received entirely through said housing upon activation of said explosive means, said connector including a generally cylindrical end portion, said detonator means is received in said end portion, and passageway means connecting said detonator means and said explosive means. 